Dreams Into Journey

With a shrug Lia tells their guide how they all met. She then moves to her bedroll and lays down for her own rest.

"I wanna say there are stranger ways fer folk ta meet... But nothin' comes to mind," Cree voices  her immediate reaction.

"I heard rumors 'bout strange goin's on, but nothin's been happenin' in this corner of the world. At least fer now. Considerin' what's out here, it'll be easier ta not lose sleep over not here yet."

"We'll move out at first light.

Cree soon reclines with a blanket over herself and falls asleep.

The very next morning, as the sun is barely peeking over the horizon, Cree wakes up the sleeping party, "Rise and shine, eat an' hydrate up, we have a ways ta go before reaching salt flats and a bit more beyond that fer the butte!"

As the party prepares to leave, a small group moves past them. It is a small retinue of guards, some of them astride camels accompanying an ornate, camel-drawn carriage that has it curtains drawn.

A few of the guards give a curious look to the strange mix of people with a fierce-looking creature they, presumably, have never seen before.

“Well met there.”  Lia calls out to the guards.  “You seem to be a long way from the normal paths of this area...”

"It's the damnedest thing, lass..." a guard stops for a moment. "There is an immense hole in the middle of the desert that seemed to appear overnight. I'm not talking about a crater or a sinkhole. Just a sheer hole that seems to fall into oblivion. We needed to skirt the edge of the salt flats. You'll be able to see it for yourself in just under a mile, it is remarkably hard to miss!"

Cree's face turns into a mix of concern and confusion, "Any travelers caught up in it you aware of...?"

"Might have been one coming from Razzel's Edge, for all I know. This is a private escort job." He responds, motioning to the carriage at the last statement.

Oswin glances at Lia, and quietly whispers, "Do you think this is related to what we're looking for?"

“No way to know.”  Lia says with a shrug.  She glances to their guide.  “Would that hole be any where near our destination?”

"He said that the hole goes near the edge of the salt flats, but that that could mean anything. Only one way to find out for sure," Cree says as she finishes securing Scath to the wagon. "Let's head on out!"

After breaking camp and making their way again, it is not very long until a large, black void starts to come into view, stretching far to the north and east, nearly to the horizon. As they get closer, the hole appears to be perfectly round and the sunlight seems to stop right where it begins.

"That- What happened...?" Cree gasps. "It doesn't look like it goes anywhere near the butte... But, such a huge area of the desert is just not there anymore!"

Gazing into the gigantic abyss, as the move across the desert, the scope of the hole gets more and more apparent.

Around its vicinity, it is disturbingly silent. Almost as if the very wind is afraid to make a sound. Only the soft crunching of the sun-blasted landscape under their feet and the squeaking of the wheels are heard. Even more unsettling, even as the sun climbs higher into the sky, it remains as black as pitch.

Soon, they reach a rocky decline to their right, "Heads up, the salt flats're just down that way/ I reckon somewhere around 4 more hours of travel until we reach that rock yer so keen on."

"Ta be honest, it'll be a relief not ta look at that pit fer a while..."

Lia nods her agreement about the void they have been skirting around. She would have asked the wizard many times what he thought of it as they traveled near it.

"Let's head onward." She tells their guide.

Oswin will curiously look into the whole the entire time they're around it, periodically throwing in stones and such. When the guide mentions leaving it behind, he shrugs a little regretfully, "Oh well, as the lady says, onward to our goal."

(OOC: once again, maybe we should recruit some new blood... It seems like only the two of us are playing this game 99% of the time.)

(Yeah I think it’s time to start recruitment)

(Recruitment bump)

After looking away from the gaping chasm in the desert, Lia is wondering how large the abyss extends while Oswin throws rocks into it, trying to see if he can calculate how deep it its. However he never hears them hit the ground.

They soon see that they are not the only ones traveling along the edge of the chasm they see a couple of covered wagons accompanied by a a number of people larger than what they could support coming from the opposite direction.

As the wagons approach, Valentia calls out to them, "Is everything alright? You are the group of travelers we have seen that has been diverted by this abyss."

(Enter new characters! Feel free to introduce yourselves!)

Alden Lostchild

After trying for the 10th time to clean the sand out of his clothing, Alden has given up. He looks the others over with a measured eye. 

Alden stands about 6'1" tall, with brown hair and hazel eyes. His features are mainly human and a beard covers his face. the only feature that gives away his half-elven heritage is his pointed ears. He wears clothing traditionally for desert travel but they do not set on him as if he were a native. It is very apparent he is out of his element. He carries a rapier on his left hip and leans on a quarterstaff. 

Alden raises his right hand in greeting, palm open. "Yes, it seems alright though, I am a bit lost in this expansive sandbox," he says. "I would be grateful for directions to something a bit more habitable but, since I am a hireling, just an explanation of where we might be will do." Alden smiles. 

Gulgus Stormbrew

Gulgus slowly makes his way over using a staff to sure his footing.  He's a thin dwarf well on in years with a long white beard and wrinkles that hint at a wisdom that accompanies age. He's clad in worn studded leather suggesting something more formidable than what meets the eye.

Gulgus looks up, bright-eyed, and hails Valentia with a Dwarven greeting, "Sonn Ultok, Samman!" He then continues in common, "Aye , but I dinna like all tha sand gettin' down inna me cracks and crevices." He then looks over to Lia with a bit of a smile and gives Oswin a friendly wink.

"Closest thing ta civilization is Razzel's Edge, that's about a days walk from here." Cree replies to Alden, pointing her thumb in the general direction of the town. "By the looks of yer group, I don't see anyone who I recognize as your guide. Did something happen ta them?"

Gulgus steps up, places a hand supportively on Alden's shoulder and looks curiously at Cree.  "I was kinna hopin' one of ye may have seen 'em. After goin' ta sleep last noche, we woke up this morn ta that blasted expanse with many in tha caravan appearin' ta have cleared out." He then tilts his head in thought scratching his head. 

Alden

"Alas, my friend here is correct," Alden nods his head to Gulgus as he speaks. "It appears our guide and I do believe our employment has both disappeared among the dunes of this place." 

Alden bows slightly. 'I am Alden Lostchild, formerly of the Brookshire City Watch and now traveler, hireling, and adventurer. My dwarven companion, Gulgus and I would greatly appreciate any assistance you might be able to render." 

Oswin looks to his companions uncertainly, "I'd have no objections to you joining us, but I can't say it'd be much safer than heading back to town on your own. Did you happen to see the appearance of this hole?"